I am a blogging virgin so not really sure what to put, but hopefully this has an element of interest.

I woke on one morning back in February just after my 39th birthday and realized I had developed a rather noticeable bulge around the middle. This needed addressing and fast, so I wondered off to the scales and as I stepped on they groaned 102 kilos. Ouch. How did I get that big? – I used to weigh 79 kilos!

3 main reasons for the expanse; Beer, lack of cycling and beer.

In September 2007 I had just qualified for the ITU Age Group world champs in Canada off the back of an injury dogged triathlon season and was well into my training for Ironman UK the following summer. Things were going great and I was in the best shape of my life. Unfortunately it all went a bit Pete Tong in October when hit head on by a car.

I decided a comeback to competitive events was in order not unlike Mr. Armstrong. If it was good enough for him it was good enough for me. My mission is to lose 20 kilos in weight, as I like to winter in the style of Jan Ullrich, cake, beer and clubbing without the drugs recreational or otherwise, get back my fitness levels and go from cat 4 as high as possible over the next few seasons, and show some of the whipper snappers that work for me that 39 is not over the hill just yet. 10 kilos of weight gone already with a good spring of riding and commuting to work, so watchout.

Starting in June I will be charging around Milton Keynes bowl in the weekly criterium races. My staff think I should start in the Vets class but I’m not sure. Then build up to some road racing through July, August and September. Then depending on how the season goes I might even ride the Vuelta!

I have worked at Evans Cycles twice and have been back for about 3 years now, and I am based at the Milton Keynes Store. My role we call Hub Manager and no that doesn’t mean I’m charge of just hubs!! I run the Milton Keynes branch and am responsible for bossing people around at 3 other locations.

I have been jammy enough to be given a BMC Pro Machine the official blurb states; “The BMC Pro Machine SLC01 Road Bike is designed to try and create the ultimate ride coming complete with an iSC carbon frame made exclusively with unidirectional carbon and manufactured entirely with nano technology. iSC seat post fitting system. Internal shifter and brake cable routing. Carbon dropouts.” Basically it’s light amazingly stiff and handles like a dream.’